Refrigerator car



L. W. COLLINS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

I APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1919. g 1 9 1 3 I Patented July 4, 1922.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

ATTUR/VEYQ.

L. W. COLLINS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.7,1919.

1 ,42 1,9 1 3. Patented July 4, 1922 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 [Vi ENTER Z6TQ fr 7)? 0026/72 5 Arrm/vsys.

L. W. COLLINS. REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1919.

Patented J uly 4, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H m .m. w z

444 Army/vars.

L. W. COLLINS.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7. 1919.

w s 8 w \i \\\\\\\Q .m W m nu U W; an 0 J R c d m U e 4 r W m sw W u m m M n. P V ma 3 \Y k N M Q M H 11 W N h an r H H m mm BL 00 m 1 Q$\ 9 g {R w k L k k 2 f A l l J 4N4 r "if. COLLLN'S. 0F ZA'UL. MINNESQTA.

CAR.

tasters.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July at. 11922.

Application filed October 7, 1919. Serial No. 328,986.

overhead refrigeratorbunkers; In this in vention an overhead ice basket or baskets are employed allowing the air in the car to come more freely into direct contact with a greater area of refrigerant than heretofore perature than in prior art devices.

This invention provides an ice basket or baskets located in theupper portion of a refrigeratorcar, cooling room or other refrigerating provision chamber, near which thereby producing lower and more even temis arranged a combined drip pan and air bafiie, said basket being supported above the drip pan and air baffle so that air is caused to circulate completely around the pieces of ice contained in the basket and to follow a definite course of. circulation,

whereby the lading enclosed in the refrigerating car or chamber is cooled in a mlnimum time and maintained at a minimum tempera ture. This invention also provides suitable means for the ready removal of the com-' bined drip pan and air baffle and the ice basket for repairing. This inventlon also comprises features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is an elevation in longitudinal central section through a portion of a refrigerator car showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 1s a longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross sectionof a detail, on an enlar ed scale, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a lan of the combined drip pans and air afiies in assembled position when removed from the car; Fig. 5 is a section of a detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section of a detail taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a section of a detail taken onthe line 7-7 of Fig. 4; Fig. 8 is a section of a detail taken. on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; and Fig. 9,is a section of a detail taken on the line 99 of Fig. 4.

- cording to general woven wire with the top open,

In the drawings let-A indicate the body of a refrigerator car having theusual floor 10, sides 11 and 12, ends such as 13 and roof let, allof; which are thoroughly insulated acpractice in constructing refrigerator cars orstorage houses. The roof of the car hast-he customary ceiling 16nwhich is cut away at its central portion in order to raise the ments which are employed as near the roof of the car aspossible to give ample head room below the drip pans. As shown three ice baskets are provided indicated by B, C, and D, although it will be understood that my invention contemplates the use of one or any'number of ice baskets within the s irit thereof. Each of these ice baskets (see ig. 3) is of rectangular shape, made out of whereby air is free to circulate through the floor and side walls and around the ice therein. These ice baskets are arranged in' series longitudinally and supported by v ton cradle B, said cradle-inturn being supported by a pair of angle elements 17 and 18 which are fastened longitudinally to the side walls 11 and 12 of the car by means of ice basket ele means of a' skelebolts 19 or other suitable fasteningmeans passing through the walls, car framing and said angle members. wardly extending flange members of these angle elements are suitably supported other angle irons 21 and T irons 22, there bein a set of angleirons and T irons for em basket, the angle irons being arranged so that the bottom corners of the basket at all 4: sides rest therein} The transverse or end angle 1ron members at the lower corners of the baskets extend beyond the sides of the ice basket and are adapted to rest upon the angle members 17 and 18. The longitudi-' nal angle members at the lower corners of the basket rest upon and are secured to the transverse angle members, the securin means being by bolts 23 or other suitable detachable means. tend transversely below and support the longitudinal angle members the ends of said T members also resting upon the longitudinal angle members 17 and 18. The ends of the transverse angle members and T members are detachably secured to the longitudinal angle members 17 and 18 by bolts 24 or other suitable means. By loosening the bolts 23 and 24 the ice basket sup orts or cradles can be easily removedand t e baskets low- Upon the lower in- The T members 21 exas is necessary to assist the end transverse angle members in amply supporting the ice baskets to prevent any sagging and to prevent all side and end thrust. The construction' described for supporting the ice baskets has a maximum strength and minimum weight of material without obstructing thefree circulation of air around the ice in the ice baskets which is advantageous. The roof of the car is provided withsuitable hatch- Ways, there being a pair 26 for each basket located at each side of the running board.

27. Each of these hatchways is closed in the usual mannersuch as byv a plug 28 and a hinged cover29. The lower ends of the passages in "the hatchways are flared outwardly and downwardly at 30 so as give clearance and thus facilitate the filhng of the baskets with ice or with a mixture of ice and salt or other chemicals. The ice baskets are spaced a short distance from each other and from the sides of the car which facilitates their removal or replacement from below and allows more perfect circulation of the air through the baskets thus producing maximum contact with the refrigerant.

The combined drip pan and air baflie is composed as illustrated of six sections, F, G, H, I, J and K, there being a pair of sections arranged transversely below each ice basket, the sections of each pair being spaced apart. These sections are supported on the side walls of the car by longitudinally disposed blocks 31 which are removably secured by means of bolts 32 or other suitable means,-

passing through the blocks, walls and framing of the car. The combined pan and bafiie sections are arranged in two series there being three adjacent sections on each side of the car, the endmost sections being secured against longitudinal movement by end blocks 33, which may be separate elements or when desired continuations of the side supports 31. The sections F, G, H, I, J and K slant downwardly from near the longitudinal center line of the car towards the side walls so as to provide drainage. The inner ends toward the longitudinal center line of the car of said sections which are spaced a short distance apart, provide a central longitudinal air duct- 35 through which air passes freely from over and around the ice in the ice basket elements, downwardly into the provision chamber, in the car or room being cooled. Said upper and inner ends are held spaced apart by spacing blocks 36 and said ends are removably hung from the ice basket cradles by means of bolts 37 or other suitable means. It will be observed the ice basket cradles which support the ice baskets and the combined drain trays and bafiles are entirely supported by the side walls of the car. Thus the roof is free from the load of the refrigerating means.

The surrounding edges of each combined tray and air baffle slant upwardly and outwardly to provide dams 38 which prevent any water dripping from the ice from passing into the provision chamber. The combined drip pans and air bafiles are surfaced with thin sheet metal plates 39 to prevent water leaking through the pans. The inclined surfaces of the'dams also prevent the metal from cracking where it is bent up thus reducing to a minimumtendency to leak. Theends of the endmost trays facing the ends of the car are provided with air baffle walls 40, which terminate a short distance below the ceiling or roof of the car so that air from the lading chamber passes upwardly over the baffles, circulating in and around the ice in the ice baskets and then back again into the lading chamber through the air ducts 35. Cover plates 41 over the a air ducts 35 sufiiciently protect against any water dripping from the ice through the ducts 35 and into the provision chamber. The lower ends of the combined pans and air bafiies adjacent to the side walls of the car are provided with suitable drain ducts 42 leading downwardly through the side walls and out from the car. The lining plates 39 extend upwardly over the baffle or rear walls 40. This protects against water splashing from the pans or ice in the baskets into the .provision chamber. The car body may when desired be provided with floor racks 43, end

-air circulating ducts 44; and up and down spacing strips 45 on the side walls, all of which permit air to circulate freely through and around the lading,

In operation after the ice baskets have been filled with refrigerant such as ice or a mixture of ice and salt or other'chemicals and the hatchways closed, air circulates freely around all sides of the basket and the refrigerant contained therein, .thus being lowered in temperature to a minimum. The cold air which has come into intimate contact with the refrigerant passes downward through the ducts 35 into the lading chamber, forcing the return of the air in the provision chamber over the end baffles 40 to the ice in the ice baskets. Thus a well defined circulation of cooling medium occurs throughout the provision chamber, the current of air passing downwardly near the center of the car and towards both ends and thence rising'and returning in the upper portion and towards the center.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the- 4 situated near thetopand away from ends secured to the side walls of said structure" for supportingsaid baskets in position and all best embodimentthereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can other means and applied be carried out bly to uses other t an those above setforth within the scope of the following claimsr c Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. A body structure containing a provision chamber, a plurality of assembled ice baskets of open work structure distanced apart and of said structure, skeleton .cradleelements a plurality'of-assembl'ed combined drip pan Q. and'air 'bafile elements secured to said side "walls" and 'spa'cedrfrom said ice basket elethe drip away from the ice in the basket e eme'nts and permitting air to circulate freely from the ments for conductin rovision chamber over, through, below and around the ice in the basket elements. 7 2. In combination with a body structure of reater length than width, an overhead ice asket remote from-the ends and spaced from the sides in said structure, a. skeletoncradle securedto' said body structure for supporting said basket, a. drip pan supported below said baske't having a down draft duct, and an'air battle at feacl end of said pan awayfrom said. basket, said pan and baflles bein 'arrangedsoas to assist indirecting" f air rom both, ends. in said body structure up, through and around the ends of the basket, around the refrigerant and below the and below the pan."

: sm r; a.

body strueture'containing a provisio chamber, a plurality of ice baskets claim...

work structure distanced apart near thetop baskets in position and a pluralityo drip pans supported below and away from said ice basket elements for conducting the drip away from the ice in the basket elements 1' and permitting air to circulate freely from the provision chamber over, through, belowand around the ice -in the basket elements. 4. A body structure containing a provision chamber, a. plurality of assembled ice baskets of open work structure, situatedand supported near the. top and away from the ends lof said structure, and a plurality of assembled'drip'pan and air bafile elements spaced from' and below said basket'elements for' conducting the drip. away from the ice in the basket elements and permitting air to circulate freely from the provision chamber over, through, below gamma;

basket havingga down draftl'duct, and an and aroundnthelice in the basket elements. i

In combination with a an overhead ice basketi spaced from'the side. 7 walls of said structure, a skeleton cradle secured to said bodystructure for supportin said basket, a drippan supported below sai r away from'said basket, said pan and bafile" being. a'rrangedso as to ,assist in directing .air from in said body structure up, through: and around thebasket, around the refriger-' ant and below' the, basket and thence down through 'said duct'andbelow the pan. 7 p Signed at St. Paul, in the county of Ram sey.,and1 State of- Minnesota, this-22nd day: basket and thence down through saidduc't v ufiggrna w}, ooLLINsit 

